If you have been following I have been very impressed with the taste, consistency of the protein powder. After reading reviews of the product a few things were brought to my attention. First there are claims that the product is scam due to a lack of listed ingredients in the powder. Second there has also been some concern about the presence of Caffeine in the shake, personally I wouldn't mind a bit of caffeine in it especially if it keeps me from taking caffeine pills. The past few days I have been taking those concerns into account and really checking the ingredients and the skeptics are probably correct with their observation. I do not believe that all of the ingredients are listed on the bag, however with that said I am not dissuaded from using Shakeology. If there are any questions regarding if there are artificial flavors included I simply would send the person right to the taste. Again I have tried all type of protein powder, from Amp, Isopure, Muscle Milk, ProSource, GNC, EAS and others over the years. I have also tried just about all of the flavors offered from my fave Vanilla then Strawberry and finally Chocolate of which was wayyy at the bottom of my list. As a consumer making an honest observation who also does not have anything to gain, I would say that all the other powders tasted synthetic. They were grainy, clumped in regular water, the taste did not fully taste like the actual flavor, you knew when you were drinking the shake.
That is what is different with Shakeology, I do not know whether all of the ingredients are natural however, I will say that it tastes natural. Usually at this point I am sick of drinking the shakes and force myself just to swallow it fast but this is different with Shakeology. I have not been tired of the shake in fact I prefer to make it thick like ice cream and eat it with a spoon. I also finally realized how it gave me the boost I had been looking for to get me through the day. I skipped the shakes all together on day 7 and let me tell you I dragged all day, I felt so week and couldn't figure out why I felt so bad. Then I realized what was missing from the day was my normal morning shake. I always felt the energy but never crashed like I would after taking a caffeine pill or drinking diet coke (I heart). I have to give the shake an A+++ for the energy boosting qualities it states it will give you. I also found out there are new recipes and I really think there is natural cocoa in the powder because of the taste. I cant wait to do the cleanse, I will begin the cleanse on Monday simply because I like to eat sushi etc. on the weekends.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Q: Shakeology Day 3-4
Thus far I will say that this is the best tasting supplement that I have tried over the years. Most after a while tend to taste grainy almost artificial, Shakeology on the other hand continues to be smooth and the chocolaty taste remains. I have toyed around with what to add to the powder, so far I have added Bananas, Strawberries, Honey, Blue Berries, Raspberries and Wild Berries. My favorite is a combination of powder, bananas and strawberries along with ice and come Almond or Rice milk. I also prefer it to be very thick which makes it taste like a Wendy's frosty and its just that good. I also have drank it just with water and still it kept its flavor and was not as lumpy as most powders tend to get when you simply mix with water. In the oncoming days I will do a Shakeology cleanse and make cookies with the powder from a recipe that was given to me with the bag of Shakeology.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Q: Shakeology Day 2
On day 2 of my 30 day Shakeology trial, I combined 1 scoop of Shakeology with, 1/2 banana, Almond Milk (unsweetened), ice and water. What came out was this smooth chocolate and banana drink which was sooo good. If you are a chocolate lover and you have this product try putting a banana in the cup. I enjoyed the flavors but next time I will put 1/2 a scoop because it can be very overpowering especially if you are not a huge chocolate person which I am not. I will point out that when I first received the bag Janna from Team Beach Body did say that it will clean you out the first couple of days. She was correct and unfortunately I was stuck working a double shift at work. Unlike some people I know, my turtle will not come out of the shell when I am away and around an unknown toilet. It was painful feeling your tummy twist and roll but with proper meditation and concentration I got through it. Remember that it will cleanse the body as you continue to drink your shakes.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Q: Shakeology Day 1
If you are friends with us on FB then you know by now that I won a bag of Shakeology from the Rasa-Lila festival. I was very excited yet apprehensive about the product first the price, 119 is a bit steep for a 30 day supply of a supplement and second, I am not a huge fan of chocolate I'd rather vanilla. To my dismay Shakeology did not come in the vanilla flavor however it was explained that the flavor of vanilla was not natural thus the reason behind not having the flavor. At the fest I only tasted a small amount of the product and it was good but not POW amazing. As I made plans to link up with Janna from Team Beach Body I did more research on the product. C gave me a great article about the creator of the product and his quest to find the perfect combination of super foods which was featured in O magazine. At some point I became excited however, because I have taken so many different products I was a bit skeptical then decided I would put something together on our blog.
Health is big business in America because there are so many people who have yet to take that first step to changing their lives. Products that promise weight loss and provide energy tend to make a tremendous amount of money. In my eyes this product is no different however because I believe in Beach Body, although they should have more rounder people in their videos, I'm keeping an open mind and belly for this product. First day I opened up the package and I knew from the beginning this was different. The bag was heavy the smell was amazing, it smelled more like cocoa powder than actual chocolate. I then took 1 scoop of Shakeology, 1 tbl spoon of Peanut Butter, unsweetened Almond milk, water and ice and with the help of my Magic Bullet I blended the shake together. When I stopped the Magic Bullet I opened up to this creamy chocolaty peanut butter smelling thick drink and for a second I had to check the bag again to make sure it was a supplement and not cocoa mix. I took the sip and ooooohhh boy it was good, it tasted like someone took chocolate melted it then crushed it up in tiny tiny peaces until it became a powder. Immediately I could tell the difference between the products I was drinking and this one. For day one I was pleasantly surprised and very excited for the next 29 days.
I'll leave you with this just a little bit of information about Shakeology: provides the widest array of nutrients from around the world in a nutrient-dense but low-calorie formula. One that can't be replicated anywhere.
Health is big business in America because there are so many people who have yet to take that first step to changing their lives. Products that promise weight loss and provide energy tend to make a tremendous amount of money. In my eyes this product is no different however because I believe in Beach Body, although they should have more rounder people in their videos, I'm keeping an open mind and belly for this product. First day I opened up the package and I knew from the beginning this was different. The bag was heavy the smell was amazing, it smelled more like cocoa powder than actual chocolate. I then took 1 scoop of Shakeology, 1 tbl spoon of Peanut Butter, unsweetened Almond milk, water and ice and with the help of my Magic Bullet I blended the shake together. When I stopped the Magic Bullet I opened up to this creamy chocolaty peanut butter smelling thick drink and for a second I had to check the bag again to make sure it was a supplement and not cocoa mix. I took the sip and ooooohhh boy it was good, it tasted like someone took chocolate melted it then crushed it up in tiny tiny peaces until it became a powder. Immediately I could tell the difference between the products I was drinking and this one. For day one I was pleasantly surprised and very excited for the next 29 days.
I'll leave you with this just a little bit of information about Shakeology: provides the widest array of nutrients from around the world in a nutrient-dense but low-calorie formula. One that can't be replicated anywhere.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Q: I heart Rasa-LiLa
After all the buildup on Saturday April, 16th I went to my first festival focused on the practice of yoga. At first I was a bit hesitant the New yorker started to take hold and that feeling of going to a place alone made me uncomfortable. This process is all about change and stepping out of ones comfort zone and experiencing new things. With that in mind I got up walked my boys, picked up my Yoga mat, water, camera and an open mind and walked out the door. I drove and the first thing I noticed when I pulled up to the campgrounds was the Orange Groves right next to the grounds and a farm right across from that. I parked got out of my car and immediately was met with smiles, from the persons handling parking to registration everyone was happy and very inviting.
I picked up my gift bag was directed to my volunteer station and walked up to yet another smiling face welcoming me to the fest. Every doubt I had in me about whether I would enjoy myself had left, instead I focused on enjoying the moment. At that moment this city G was surrounded by nature and with people who found their own joy in what they do. From the vendors, non-profit organizations and the Yoga studios everyone was there for one thing, joy. Honestly I did not know how if I could handle such an experience where it was completely dry. In my previous life I would have run the other way when I heard the word "dry" but in this one it really didn't matter.
It was such an amazing experience a full day of meditation, Yoga, Music, Lecture and kids fun. I took my first Power Yoga class with Stephen Bickle from the Bella Prana Yoga who was amazing. I could not do some of the poses and you know that was a ok no one stared they just offered options. Then there was Flow Yoga by Yoga Village, Jivamukti by Happy Buddha Yoga studio and then I took a break. While on break I sat under a tree eating a vegan philly cheesesteak from the Lettuce Eat Healthy stand and watched the yogi's in the inversion class taught by Amy Chin from Jai-Dee Yoga. It felt great just to be in that moment waiting for C and Kai to join me. Finally they arrived and immediately the vibe turned static, immediately we decided that next year we would stay overnight and urge our friends to join us.
Finally we met two great people who represent Team Beach Body. Janna and Joel were great and immediately we all clicked and had some great laughs while also talking about the need to get healthy. Along with that there was the transition from Shawn T's Insanity workout, gaining weight, losing weight and Shakeology. Oh and for the first time I actually won a raffle, I won a 30 day supply of Shakeology of which I will write a full review of. What I took from this entire experience is this: Larger sizes are missing from great experiences like Rasa-Lila but its not because we are not welcome, its because we just haven't made our presence known...until now. I also found that you can connect with people from all walks of life and find fruitful connections and support. I know that the feeling of being alone is one that is placed on ourselves because we are not alone. I heart yoga and you know what there are a ton of people who also heart yoga. From the men practicing in prison, to the upper class music mogul, the middle class stay at home mom, and the lower class pay what you can crowed.
fAat yoGa will have a greater presence next year at the fest hopefully we can get more people out for the first time sporting there fAat shirts. If you are looking for additional support make sure you check out Janna Ballard on either FB or Team Beach Body she is a coach and support your local Yoga studios. Here are a few pictures from the fest enjoy:
I picked up my gift bag was directed to my volunteer station and walked up to yet another smiling face welcoming me to the fest. Every doubt I had in me about whether I would enjoy myself had left, instead I focused on enjoying the moment. At that moment this city G was surrounded by nature and with people who found their own joy in what they do. From the vendors, non-profit organizations and the Yoga studios everyone was there for one thing, joy. Honestly I did not know how if I could handle such an experience where it was completely dry. In my previous life I would have run the other way when I heard the word "dry" but in this one it really didn't matter.
It was such an amazing experience a full day of meditation, Yoga, Music, Lecture and kids fun. I took my first Power Yoga class with Stephen Bickle from the Bella Prana Yoga who was amazing. I could not do some of the poses and you know that was a ok no one stared they just offered options. Then there was Flow Yoga by Yoga Village, Jivamukti by Happy Buddha Yoga studio and then I took a break. While on break I sat under a tree eating a vegan philly cheesesteak from the Lettuce Eat Healthy stand and watched the yogi's in the inversion class taught by Amy Chin from Jai-Dee Yoga. It felt great just to be in that moment waiting for C and Kai to join me. Finally they arrived and immediately the vibe turned static, immediately we decided that next year we would stay overnight and urge our friends to join us.
Finally we met two great people who represent Team Beach Body. Janna and Joel were great and immediately we all clicked and had some great laughs while also talking about the need to get healthy. Along with that there was the transition from Shawn T's Insanity workout, gaining weight, losing weight and Shakeology. Oh and for the first time I actually won a raffle, I won a 30 day supply of Shakeology of which I will write a full review of. What I took from this entire experience is this: Larger sizes are missing from great experiences like Rasa-Lila but its not because we are not welcome, its because we just haven't made our presence known...until now. I also found that you can connect with people from all walks of life and find fruitful connections and support. I know that the feeling of being alone is one that is placed on ourselves because we are not alone. I heart yoga and you know what there are a ton of people who also heart yoga. From the men practicing in prison, to the upper class music mogul, the middle class stay at home mom, and the lower class pay what you can crowed.
fAat yoGa will have a greater presence next year at the fest hopefully we can get more people out for the first time sporting there fAat shirts. If you are looking for additional support make sure you check out Janna Ballard on either FB or Team Beach Body she is a coach and support your local Yoga studios. Here are a few pictures from the fest enjoy:
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
C: The Scale is my 'Scale' of Progress
Against my inner voice I stepped on the scale this morning at the gym after my morning cardio. I am a pound heavier than I was when we started this journey on Feb 5. Even though I've gone down 2 sizes, feel great, skin looks wonderful, I feel strong...something inside me is preventing the celebration. My scale of progress has been halted. At least that is what I thought until I chatted with my best boy bestie. He said, 'That is why I hate biggest loser, Cara...it is all about the scale and not about how people did during the week; the breakthroughs they had' and you know what? He is right. I can list at least 10 things I have already incorporated into my life that are here to stay and none of them have to do with what the scale says. So that's it! I'm done! No more weighing, I am going by measurements, clothing, and general health and fitness level. I couldn't even make it through a session with the trainer without crying and now I feel like I could go another round after a 30min rest.
Here's to stepping off the scale and keeping my measure of progress on point!-C
Here's to stepping off the scale and keeping my measure of progress on point!-C
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)